The Bandit Princess
by HimeFlye
Summary: "It's going to be alright." Toph said, rubbing the badger mole's nose. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."


**Disclaimer:**I do not own Avatar.

**Cover Image:** 'Little Toph and the Badgermole' by Porcubird (Deviantart)

**Author note:**So, normally I like to finish a story before posting any chapters but I just had to get this one out, so here it is. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, but I'm planning on a full length adventure about child Toph; including the badger moles, the earth bending, and how she becomes the rough and tough Toph we know and love. Please review and tell me what you think.

**Chapter 1**

**The Runaway**

"But I heard them, they sounded so nice!" Toph told her mother.

"you can't go out and play. I don't want you hurt."

the six year old girl felt her mother's hands, pushing her aside so she could get to the shelf in the kitchen. She pushed a little too far and Toph tripped over the edge of the rug.

"Oh Darling I'm sorry." Her mother quickly picked her up, something Toph hated more then anything else in the world, since all she could feel around her was air.

"Let me down! Let me down!"

"It's okay Honey, I've got you. Are you hurt?"

"No. Let me down!"

When finally on the floor again, Toph dug her hands into the rough strands of the living room rug and cried, feeling herself shake.

"Don't cry Sweetheart it's alright!"

Her father's voice spoke next, loud and high above her, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. She just started crying." her mother said.

"I have a meeting in half an hour, you need to take her upstairs."

Toph froze, hearing her mother step closer to her. She wasn't surprised when her mother's hands touched her arms again. "Come on Toph."

"NO!" she screamed, Trying to move away and only barely blocking herself from the small table edge, the one that held that smooth vase and those flowers that smelt disgusting. She spun, tripping right across her father's feet. She rubbed her eyes so the tears wouldn't sting, trying to get her baring again. Finally, she latched to her mother's arm , where she knew she wouldn't hit anything, and let herself be carried upstairs.

.

.

.

For a long time Toph just sat on her bed, clutching her quilt in both hands, her feet tucked safely beneath herself. It had been a while since she'd heard the kids outside. Had they moved? Had they chosen to play in a different place where she couldn't even hear them? _I bet I could find them. _She thought to herself. _They're so loud I can just follow my ears for sure. Sounds always get louder when you get closer. _Scooting off the bed till her bare feet touched the cool, wood floor Toph felt her way to the window and touched the edges, lifting it up till she could feel the air getting in. She took hold of each side of the window, then lifted herself up onto the ledge, taking a moment to gain her balance as the world seemed to shift around her. She carefully stuck her feet out, feeling for the ground. In efforts to scoot a little further, she toppled forward. Toph fell flat out on her back on the ground outside.

For a while she just lay there, feeling the grass beneath her, completely out of breath. For a minuet She thought she might cry, but crying never helped anything, and. . . She was out! Free! She could go find those kids now and play. Standing, a little wobbly and backing up against the wall, Toph felt around her house to try and find the front gate to the street.

.

.

.

The air was chill and Toph was getting sleepy and hungry:which had to mean she was awake far past the time her mother wanted her in bed. Slipping once again, the little girl resorted to crawling on her hands and knees. She was going uphill now in hopes of reaching her house again, but the grass here was not soft. There was hardly any grass at all just dirt and rocks. _This isn't right_. She thought, clutching a hand full of dirt, and letting go quickly to stick her fingers in her mouth because something had poked her. She wiped her damp forehead and took several deep breaths. _Maybe the children have to go to bed too, so they went home. They'll come back tomorrow and then I can play with them. _She made a satisfied grunt with her decision and turned on her hands slightly, hoping that was where the house was. As she inched forward, the earth under her hand gave away and she felt herself falling, the air swishing around her. She clutched herself to keep from getting hurt, finally rolling to a stop both sore and hurting. _I think I messed up_. She thought, feeling the hard rock beneath her. "Mommy?"

.

.

.

**Author note:**Don't forget to review please! My writing must be improved so that I can become rich and famous someday. :)

P.S. Thank you to the first few reviews who caught all my pathetic mistakes. the moral of the story being; Don't post a story before grammar checking, and ALWAYS check to make sure it transfers right. Hopefully this one is better the the first try. Thanks for the faves and alerts anyways. the next chapters will be better.


End file.
